D018 Task Force on Lay Pension Parity
Lay employees of the Church are governed under a separate pension plan to Clergy given the age differences between the funds and applicable laws, leading to practical difficulties in providing fair parity between Lay and Clergy benefits. This creates a justice issue in the Church where lay employees are frequently not able to enjoy retirement benefits comparable to those of their Clergy counterparts.
While recognizing that actual parity is unlikely to be achieved in the near future given the age and practical differences between the plans, we believe the Church must do a better job of finding a fairer path forward for lay benefit plans, including addressing issues such as COLA increases, vesting requirements, and the rate at which Church employers contribute to lay plans in the Church Pension group.
Given the complexities presented, we believe a Task Force is the best route to study this issue in greater detail, to foster a conversation between the Church and the Church Pension Group, to present a report on how we can work together to find a better path forward at the next General Convention, and to determine what steps the Church can take to aid the Church Pension Group in addressing this important issue.
It is vital that we as a Church treat our lay employees with the same respect and dignity as our clerical employees–not just in our actions, but in our compensation models – and to seek to improve the benefits given to paid lay members of the Church who daily toil to support our Church and its mission.
Explanation
Lay employees of the Church are governed under a separate pension plan to Clergy given the age differences between the funds and applicable laws, leading to practical difficulties in providing fair parity between Lay and Clergy benefits. This creates a justice issue in the Church where lay employees are frequently not able to enjoy retirement benefits comparable to those of their Clergy counterparts.
While recognizing that actual parity is unlikely to be achieved in the near future given the age and practical differences between the plans, we believe the Church must do a better job of finding a fairer path forward for lay benefit plans, including addressing issues such as COLA increases, vesting requirements, and the rate at which Church employers contribute to lay plans in the Church Pension group.
Given the complexities presented, we believe a Task Force is the best route to study this issue in greater detail, to foster a conversation between the Church and the Church Pension Group, to present a report on how we can work together to find a better path forward at the next General Convention, and to determine what steps the Church can take to aid the Church Pension Group in addressing this important issue.
It is vital that we as a Church treat our lay employees with the same respect and dignity as our clerical employees–not just in our actions, but in our compensation models – and to seek to improve the benefits given to paid lay members of the Church who daily toil to support our Church and its mission.